So-called hot-fillable, blow-molded plastic containers are well known in the art. The problems associated with accommodating vacuum deformations associated with hot filling, capping and cooling, and their solutions are also well known. Typically, so-called flex panels are provided in the containers at various locations to accommodate the vacuum that develops in the container as a result of hot fill processing.
Prior art large capacity containers, eg. 64 fluid ounces, have had cylindrical sidewalls and flex panels spaced apart therein. Labels have been applied entirely around the sidewalls over the flex panels to conceal them. Examples of such containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D.366,416 issued to Semersky; U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,086 issued to Ota et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,289 issued to Krishnakumar et al.
The handling problems associated with such containers was overcome with the introduction by Graham Packing Company, LP of its commercially successful bottles having sidewalls with grips and associated flex panels. Examples of these containers are disclosed in Graham's U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,941 issued to Semersky et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,937 issued to Prevot et al. Other sidewall grip container patents include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,105 issued to Krishnakumar et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,141,120 and 5,141,121 issued to Brown et al.
One known attempt has been made to provide a large capacity bottle having flex panels in both the dome and the base to accommodate the requisite vacuum absorption function created during hot fill processing. Such a container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,622 issued to Garver et al. and assigned to Van Dorn. In this patented container, about one-half of the vacuum absorption is provided in the dome, and the remainder is provided by the base. The container does not have any flex panels in the sidewall, and is not readily grippable with one hand due to its relatively large sidewall diameter.
So-called single serve hot-fill slender containers are known. Such containers are relatively long, have small diameters, and have capacities of about 20 fluid ounces. They are readily grippable by one hand placed about either the container sidewall or about the waist located between the dome and the sidewall. Examples of such containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.: D.366,831 issued to Semersky et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,221 issued to Tobias et al.; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,971,184 and 5,303,834 issued to Krishnakumar et al.
At present, there is no known commercially acceptable hot fill, slender, gripable bottle that has a cylindrical labelable body, a gripable waist, and a dome provided with flex panels that are capable of accommodating substantially all of vacuum absorption required by the container when subjected to hot fill processing.
In known hot-fillable containers a series of well-defined, spaced-apart vacuum flex panels are generally provided to compensate for the internal volume reduction. The vacuum flex panels provide a sufficient amount of flexure without adversely affecting the structural integrity of the hot-filled container. The adjacent portions of the container, such as the so-called lands, or columns, which are located between, above, and below the flex panels, are intended to resist any deformation which would otherwise be caused by hot-fill processing. Wall thickness variations, or geometric structures, such as ribs, projections and the like, are often utilized in the structure of a container to prevent unwanted distortion.
An example of a hot-fillable container having flex panels framed within the dome of the container is disclosed by the above referenced Garver '622 patent. Examples of hot-fill containers having a plurality of framed flex-panels in the sidewalls of the containers are provided by the above referenced Semersky '416 and '831 patents, the above referenced Ota '086 patent, the above referenced Krishnakumar '289 and '834 patents and U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,910 issued to Sugiura et al.
As disclosed in the above references, the typical structure for a hot-fillable container is one that has certain pre-defined limited functional areas which flex to accommodate volumetric changes and certain other pre-defined structural areas which frame the periphery of the flex panels and resist deformation. Thus, conventional hot-fill bottles have flex panels with well-defined boundaries which are distinctly visually apparent before and after filling. These containers also have other geometric structures which are completely segregated from the flex panels, which are also distinctly visually apparent prior to filling, and which resist structural change caused by volume reduction. Typically, all of these structures are framed about substantially their entire peripheries and are completely separated from the bottle's aesthetic features. For example, as illustrated in the above referenced Garver patent, flex panels are often indented into the container via stepped transitional framing walls which form sharp-angled junctures with a planar flex panel and the adjacent container wall from which the flex panel is indented.
Other examples of container sidewalls having flexible panels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,092 issued to Sugiura et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,178 issued to Welker III; U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,855 issued to Agrawal et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,244 issued to Darr; U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,934 issued to Brady; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,504 issued to Bueno. The Sugiura '092, Welker, Agrawal and Darr patents disclose inwardly deflecting vacuum flex panels which are located between substantially planar lands; the Bueno patent discloses inwardly deflecting panels which are located between angled grooves; and the Brady patent discloses outwardly deflecting panels which intersect at vertically disposed corners.
Although various ones of the above referenced containers may function satisfactorily for their intended purposes, there is a need for a hot-fillable blow molded slender bottle which integrates functional and aesthetic components in such a manner as to provide a package having enhanced visual interest.